Preventing Identity Theft in Your Business

CHAPTER 19THE PROPERTY FRONT: THE E-BUSINESS WEB SITE

How safe do e-shoppers feel when they visit your Web site? All businesses conduct employee performance evaluations either formally as part of an annual review or informally during day-to-day operations. However, few companies, if any, assess the performance of their Web sites with respect to customer perceptions of security. For e-businesses, a customer’s assessment of the security of a Web site could provide critical information, which is the purpose of Standard 13.

STANDARD 13. WEB SITE SECURITY ASSESSMENT

Customers are the users of the e-business Web sites. Potential customers might use the sites if they perceive that their information is secured. The customer, therefore, whether an online shopper or not, is in the best position to inform the company of perceptions of security. In addition, by offering customers an opportunity to help secure their own privacy, your company conveys the message that it cares.

Goals: Develop a Web site security assessment, then administer the assessment to internal employees and to volunteer customers.

Specific Objectives: This standard aims to measure the performance of the company Web site in terms of customer perceptions of security for conducting e-business and to solicit new ideas from those customers for improvements that might create a broader sense of security for e-shopping.

Exercise 1. Develop the Web Site Security Assessment

Estimated Time: Three Hours

Solicit and invite participation ...